About me
Stephen Friedman is a Peabody and Emmy Award-winning creator of social impact campaigns and former President of MTV, known for transforming stories into catalysts for change. He advises media, foundations, and NGOs on storytelling for social change and teaches “Storytelling and the Art of Creating Social Impact Campaigns” at Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs – where he was recently named Outstanding Teacher of the Year – and serves as a senior advisor to the Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture at UVA.
At MTV, he spearheaded the network’s transformation into a cultural touchstone for the millennial generation with shows like Catfish, Jersey Shore, Teen Mom, and Teen Wolf. He also founded MTV’s social impact department. His partnership with the National Campaign to End Teen Pregnancy helped shape 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom into cautionary tales — research has credited the shows with contributing to a steep decline in teen births.
He serves on the boards of the Genocide Survivors Foundation, All Out, and More In Common. He previously served as a director at PEN American Center and graduated with honors from Wesleyan University.
